Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Split Decision: Yanks, Red Sox win two each in series

Is it just me, or did this Yankees-Red Sox series seem just not as buzzworthy as previous matchups? I was happy that Dustin Moseley pitched so well Sunday (even if cynics think that, as one reader put it, A.J.Burnett was really suffering from Soxitis and not a bad back!) I was glad to see Derek Jeter pass Babe Ruth on the all-time hits list, and to get to Josh Beckett.

But I was disappointed that Curtis Granderson continues to struggle. And that the Bombers couldn't knock down Jonathan Papelbon in yesterday's game.

There's a lot of talk in the media today about how the Yanks should have re-signed  Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Damon I agree with, but was Matsui staying a Yankee ever an option? After all, he signed with Anaheim right after becoming a  free agent, without even hearing an offer from the Yankees. And I've read several times that he didn't want to come back to New York. So, I don't think that was even on the table.

There's also a bunch of articles criticizing Granderson. New York Post columnist Joel Sherman writes:
For his part, Granderson has a Nickelodeon persona, never publicly showing anything but a smile and a positive bent. So he is unrelentingly upbeat, delusional or working on an acting career.


What does Sherman want Grandy to do -- start sobbing on a writer's shoulder or something? If Granderson showed anger to the press, he's be called testy. If he acted upset, he'd be called too moody. But when he stays positive, he's called "delusional." Good grief.

Anyhow, I wish the Yankees had won yesterday - three games out of four would have felt a lot better than a series split!


What do you think? Tell us about it!

25 comments:

Paul said...

I agree with the cynics about AJ having 'Soxitis'.

Sox do about as well against pitchers they haven't seen as the Yanks do so edge NY in the Moseley start and then a chance to send out Hughes vs. sticking with the original plan and the very real chance of another AJ meltdown. Doesn't seem that far fetched that it could have played out that way in Girardi's head.

Going into the weekend I figured NY takes 3/4 - Sox would take Friday, NY Saturday, Sunday a toss-up not knowing which AJ or Beckett show up and Monday going to NY. Sox needed 3/4 but a split would do if TB lost the series to TOR and that's just what happened. Nice to see the Sox not just rolling over even if the odds are still very much against them.

Cheers from Boston!

Alvaro Fernandez Ravelo said...

Blame Boras for not signing with the Yankees. Nero was a better adviser for Matsui to get a deal done fast. Nero is smart, Boras is a smart ass.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, baby, go Sox! A split is much better than a 4-game purchase. You're probably not going to make it to the playoffs (sad), but at least you knocked the $206M monster on it's ass a couple of times.

Uncle Mike said...

A split was not what I had in mind, especially since yesterday's game and thus 3 of 4 were there for the taking, and of course, like Lisa, I really wanted to Cher-slap Papelbon. ("Snap out of it!" from "Moonstruck," not to be confused with the Gibbs-slap from "NCIS.") You don't leave the bases loaded in the 7th, and you don't leave the tying run on second in the 9th, especially against that team.

On the other hand, the Sox gained no ground on the Yankees, and time's a-wastin'. As the author of Baseball & the Boogie Down reminds us, even if the Yankees play .500 ball the rest of the way, the Sox would have to go 30-19 -- .600 ball.

Since Lisa's given me the OK the plug my blogs (sounds obscene, I know, but at least I don't call myself "urinal-something"), I commemorated the series by posting the all-time New England native baseball team on "Uncle Mike's Musings," and a what-if about the 1975 World Series between the Sox and Cincinnati on "Otherwise Sports." Part of it makes the Sox look good; part, not.

Anonymous said...

I heard that Matsui wanted to come back to New York but all signs pointed to the Yankees offering Damon a deal before him so he took the offer from the Angels. I guess it's who or what you read but I feel the above makes more sense. I personally think Matsui would have loved to stay with the Yankees. He actually stated that quite a few times on post games shows in 2009. I basically watch or DVR all the pre & post game shows. I believe the players and what they say much more than writers and what they "think".

Anyway ...I thought we could have won the game yesterday but a split is ok ...

I pity the poor people who post on blogs just to be nasty. Maybe their life is in the "toilet" just like the tacky names they use.

Go Yankees 2010 !!!

Anonymous said...

"I pity the poor people who post on blogs just to be nasty"

If you look into the bottom of my urinal, you will find Uncle Mikey. His "potty mouth" is what generates 99% of my nasty comments, so there you have it. Perhaps if Mikey could keep his comments limited to his team alone, and stop taking cheap shots at the Mets, Red Sox, and every other team, maybe guys like me wouldn't have to be so nasty, hmm?

Ever heard of the golden rule, you know the one that says "do unto others....", not the Yankers golden rule, "he who has the gold makes the rules"?

Anonymous said...

There's also the saying "turn the other cheek" and not the cheek that comes in close contact with the urinal...:0)

Go Yankees 2010 !!

Anonymous said...

Regarding Uncle Mike..he's posting on a Yankees blog. If he goes to other
blogs and does the same thing he's no better either.

I don't go to Met, Sox or other team blogs to be nasty, annoy, gloat or for any other negative purpose. I enjoy my team and their blogs are the only ones I need to read.

Go Yankees 2010 !!!

Matt Warden said...

Urinal, most of your posts are utterly ludicrous. Half the time I wonder if you're even lucid while you type them.

As for the Yanks, it would have been nice to take 3-4. Oh well. The Sox are in a pretty desperate situation. Part of the reason this series didn't generate the same chaos as usual is half the Sox are injured and people don't really have emotions toward the no name players.

Anonymous said...

Peggy, check out some of Mikey's comments on any of the Mets blogs, and then get back to me. There is no reason for him to be bashing the Mets, we have enough problems, we don't need that too.

Matt, I am quite lucid when I post my comments. You just don't understand them because you been baffled by the spin doctors at the "just say NO to YES" network.

Anonymous said...

Urinal ..(I hate that name ...lol)

I just "typed" I don't go to other team blogs and if Uncle Mike does that then he's no better than anyone else who goes there just to be nasty. There are good posters such as Paul ...who is from the "dreaded" Sox but can share a point on another blog in an intelligent and non-malicious fashion.

I'm concerned with my own team so I read about them not the other teams. I have no desire to make fun of or poke at other fans as I
know they love their team as much as I do mine. The only time I'm concerned with other teams is when we are playing them.

If you have such a gripe with Uncle Mike ..he has a blog ...go get him !!

Go Yankees 2010 !!!

Uncle Mike said...

He doesn't have the guts, Peggy. Occasionally, I post something a little tweaky on Faith and Fear in Flushing (but I did buy author Greg Prince's book of the same title) and Mestradamus, but nothing like the stuff Freshy does. He thinks his don't stink, but it does.

Paul said...

Thanks Peggy! ;)

Anonymous said...

As evidence,I present:

The entry on this blog site, posted on July 27, titled "Fire Oliver Perez now - and Luis Castillo later".

Mikey said "These Mets have Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Angel Pagan, Ike Davis and 21 failures."

The entry on this blog site, posted on July 23, titled "Don't make Francoeur the scapegoat for Mets' woes".

Mikey said, when talking about the current state of the Mets, "As the old song goes, Hooray and hallelujah, you had it coming to ya, and I hope you're satisfied, you rascal you."

Does that sound like someone who does not take joy in bashing the Mets? I didn't think so.

Apparently Mikey is no better than anyone else who comes here to bash the other team, because he has admitted that he does just that.

I will not go to Mikey's blog, not because I don't have the guts (please, don't make me laugh), but because I enjoy THIS blog and would like to see everyone exercise a little restraint and respect, hmmm?

Anonymous said...

One more thing. Mikey, there have been numerous times when you've taken your little jabs at the Mets, with such gems as calling their fans the "heathens from Flushing", among others, and on more than one occasion, you have admitted your utter hatred of everything related to the Mets.

Here's another proverb for you to conisder: "if you haven't got anything nice to say, keep your big fat mouth shut".

Anonymous said...

Sherman sucks!! Never read him anymore! Always against the Yanks; to sell a newspaper! Yech, I am sick at just the mention of his name!!

Lisa Swan said...

Look at all the heavy hitters on this thread -- it's like the Arnold/Sly/Bruce matchup in "The Expendables" or something! Lots or readers want to, um, flush UrinalFresh23!

As repellent as UrinalFresh23's name is (and what's the significance of that number; is it something out of "Lost"?) Yankee bashing is indeed allowed here. After all, this is a Yankees-Mets blog, which also has a heavy dose of Red Sox Nation readers.

Anonymous said...

Since you ask, UrinalFresh comes from an episode of the Simpsons, when Homer was working at a bowling alley. First he sprays the shoes, takes a whiff and says "mmmmmm, bowling fresh". Then he puts new pucks in the urinals, takes a whiff and says "mmmmmm, urinal fresh". It always struck me funny, since I am also an avid bowler (one 300 game to my credit). The number 23 is insignificant, I had to add a number to the ID to make it unique, apparently UrinalFresh (without a number) was already taken, as were other variations with numbers.

So there you have it, and thanks for asking!

And thanks Lisa for reminding everyone that this site is intended for fans of both the Mets and the other team. Anyone bashing my Mets (or the Red Sox, or any team for that matter) will get it back in spades.

Anonymous said...

Lisa ...I consider your entries the Yankee portion of the blog that's why I made the statement of it being a Yankee blog. I very rarely comment on Jon's side except if it might reference the Yankees. As I said ...I read about my team not the others.

I don't care where the name came from (I don't watch The Simpsons)I still "smells" to me but to each his own. Thanks for explaining tho' because I was wondering where you dreamed it up too.

As for Ali & Fraser alias Urinal & Uncle Mike...if this is what you enjoy ..so be it...or...we could hold cyber hands and sing Kumbaya and just wish all our teams luck...lol

Paul ...Your Welcome !!! Cheers !! :o)

Go Yankees 2010 !!!

Jon Lewin said...

UrinalFresh, you're a Met fan AND a Simpsons fan? Ehhhxcellent!

Uncle Mike said...

Peggy, "Fraser"? Face it, in this situation, I'm Ali, and he's Jerry Quarry.

Sure, I post stuff like that on those blogs. They post stuff like that about the Yankees. "The Eddie Kranepool Society" even calls them the Highlanders. Most Met-fan blogs consider the American League "inferior" and the National League special for some whacked-out reason. (It's not just the DH, because they thought that way prior to 1973 as well.)

And there's only one thing that could ever make me watch "The Simpsons": If every single cable channel but 2 were out, leaving me with a choice between that disgusting show and and the even more nauseating "South Park." I'd sooner root for the Somerset Patriots than for the Isotopes!

Anonymous said...

Hey Jon, I also like Family Guy, they are even funnier (and edgier) than the Simpsons. D'oh! I can thank my son for that, he got me interested in both of them.

I don't know who Jerry Quarry is, and don't care to know either. Boxing is even less of a sport than professional wrestling. At least you can laugh at professional wrestling. Boxing is just two brainless idiots trying to beat the crap out of each other, with Don King et.al. extorting the boxers and the public for money.

Anyway, Mikey, you can call me whatever you like, just don't call me late for dinner! And let's keep this blog decent and civil.

Anonymous said...

Lisa I would love to see you as a beat writer covering the Yankees, especially for the main stream media!! Which players would let you continue to speak with them?!

Uncle Mike said...

"Family Guy," now that it's been mentioned, is the most repulsive of all, but what do you expect? It, like "The Simpsons," is on Fox! I guess they save the "family values" for their "news" channel.

And Freshy, you are late for dinner.

Thank you, Detroit Tigers, for beating Tampa Bay this afternoon and doing us a favor. And rest in peace, Gene Hermanski. The former Brooklyn Dodger outfielder has died, age 90. The graduate of Newark's East Side High School played for them in the 1947 and '49 World Series.

Anonymous said...

Mikey, I suggest mental health counseling. I think you need help, on so many levels.

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